Chapter 12

Carly's call came through, and Adam snapped back to reality. At that moment, he was a mess. His clothes were damp, his body marked with kisses from a woman, and his breathing still unsteady. Desire had consumed him—he had actually desired Celine! Adam didn't even like her. He blamed it all on the fact that he was a man, unable to resist the temptation of such a stunning woman.

He pressed the button to answer the call, directing his attention toward Carly. The pill he had taken earlier made him feel more gentle, and his voice softened noticeably. "Hey, Carly," he greeted, trying to sound composed despite the chaos around him. The pulsing beat of metal music echoed in the background.

Carly's warm voice came through. "Adam, I'm at a club right now."

Adam hesitated. "No drinking. Have you and Jordan some milk?"

Carly replied, "Got it! My assistant is with me. Adam, come join us. I'll wait for you."

Adam glanced at Celine, her small hand reaching out and grabbing the collar of his shirt. He turned his head back to her. At that moment, Celine was completely soaked. Her wet slip dress clung to her body, accentuating her alluring curves. Her eyes were red, and she clung tightly to him, refusing to let him go.

Adam moved slightly, attempting to free his sleeve from her grip, but Celine stubbornly held on, her reddened eyes staring up at him with determination. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Celine leaned forward and hugged him. Her soft voice whispered near his ear, "Don't go, please." She had grown up, but the fear of being abandoned still lingered within her.

Adam, tangled in her hold, didn't know what to do. Carly's voice came through the phone again, "Adam, are you listening? Come here quickly!" Celine stood on her tiptoes and suddenly muted the call. That title was unique to the girl from back then. But wasn't that girl Celine? Adam's expression shifted dramatically.

"Carly," he said, ending the call and pushing Celine gently against the wall. His deep, sharp gaze pinned her as he asked, "Why did you call me that? Celine, who exactly are you?"

Celine wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her soft lips pressed against his unexpectedly, filling the air with a delicate fragrance. It was a kiss both tender and inexperienced. Adam didn't close his eyes; instead, he watched her intently. She didn't look away; her bright, watery eyes gazed right back at him.

That was when Adam noticed something strikingly familiar in her gaze, reminiscent of the girl from back then. Celine kissed him for a moment, but when she received no reaction, she pulled away, ready to leave. Just then, Adam grabbed her, pulling her slender body tightly into his embrace. His overwhelming masculine presence surrounded her as he bent down and kissed her deeply.

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Back at the club, Carly sat at the counter with her assistant, Jordan Lawrence. Jordan suddenly asked, "Carly, isn't Mr. Alvarez coming tonight?" Carly began to feel suspicious. During their earlier phone call, Adam's tone had suggested someone else was with him. She immediately called Benjamin. "Were you with Adam tonight?"

Benjamin replied, "No, Carly, but he did call earlier. Something about a woman being drugged." He suddenly connected the dots. "Carly, could it be who got drugged? Adam's private life is impeccably clean. There was only you in the past. Now, with the addition of Celine, it isn't hard to guess who he could be with."

Carly clenched her fist in anger, realizing Adam was with Celine! But her mood quickly shifted, and she broke into a bright smile. Turning to Jordan, she said, "Can you help me get something?" Jordan looked puzzled and asked, "What kind of something?"

Carly's red lips curved into a playful smirk as she uttered a single word: "Aphrodisiac."

In the club's bathroom, Celine's legs grew weak under Adam's kiss, and she almost collapsed to the floor. Adam's strong arms wrapped around her soft waist, steadying her. Celine's cheeks flushed red. Just then, a flurry of notifications interrupted them as Adam received a video call. It was from Carly.

Adam glanced at Celine and then accepted the video chat. Carly was sitting at the bar counter with a glass of alcohol in her hand. "Adam, is Celine with you? She was drugged, wasn't she?"

Adam didn't respond. Carly simply held up a small packet of powder, then poured it into her drink and downed it in one go as Adam watched.

Adam frowned. "Carly, what did you just drink?"

Carly's smile was dazzling. "An aphrodisiac." Celine's slender frame shuddered at her words; she hadn't expected Carly to drug herself. Adam's handsome face darkened. His voice was cold as he shouted, "Carly!"

A nearby man approached Carly at the bar and tried to strike up a conversation. "Hi, gorgeous. Can I buy you a drink?" Carly gestured toward the video chat, pointing at Adam, and told the man, "That's my boyfriend. But if he doesn't show up within 30 minutes, I'm all yours tonight."

Intrigued, the man's expression was bold, his eyes filled with defiance as Carly said, "Adam, tonight, you have to choose me or Celine. You can only have one woman in your life." With that, Carly ended the video call.

Adam's anger was palpable, his grip on his phone tightening as veins bulged on the back of his hand. The words "you can only have one" echoed ominously in Celine's mind, leaving her momentarily stunned. The absence of Adam's presence suddenly hit her. She let go of him and stepped back, watching him as he changed from his damp clothes into a fresh shirt and tailored trousers. He then turned to her, his deep, dark eyes locked on her face.

"What's your type?" Adam asked, causing Celine to feel momentarily baffled by the question.